HIGH PROFILE
water processes and of course removing the need for grinding media. Efficient compressive grinding pressure and shear between the particles ensure that energy goes directly into breaking them apart, which reduces the amount of energy needed for grinding. The entire grinding system is under negative pressure, including the built‐in classifier which immediately removes fine material. This prevents overgrinding and avoids unnecessary internal recirculation. Together, these features allow for a very high reduction ratio, making single‐stage grinding possible and removing the need for multiple grinding and classification steps.
CH The world needs more resources, but the increased supply of mined materials must be done in a sustainable way. At Metso, we always keep an open mind on what is new and what has potential. We are already at the forefront of matching mineral processing technology combinations to get the lowest possible energy consumption and the highest availability, such as with our stirred milling range. Technology really can make a difference for our customers and the customers themselves are more open to new thinking for flowsheets. Today, the consideration of HPGRs – in our case the HRCe, is in most of the plant design conversations that we have with engineering houses and mining groups – we have sold a lot of them in recent years, and they are the right option in many cases. But there are always nuances – the HPGR is great when it comes to energy efficiency, but they do make the plant more complex than a conventional SAG and ball mill circuit. When we looked into what other technology could bring another alternative to the HPGR for certain projects, it was clear – vertical roller mills were the right option to eliminate some of the downsides of dry grinding systems. VRM plants bring many benefits such as simplified space, with its very compact layout, combined with energy efficiency and lack of water requirement. When we looked at the right VRM partner, Loesche was clearly the number one in the field and the inventor of the technology; so, for us this was a great match – and we are excited to move ahead with them.
Q What is the depth of the relationship commercially – will any requirement for Loesche VRM technology in the mining space now be handled jointly via this partnership and the Metso Loesche VRM? And are you defining mining as anything not cement related including industrial minerals for example? And will there be any design evolution of the Loesche VRM jointly between the two companies for the mining market such as to allow higher throughputs?
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Metso says VRM benefits are significant in mining – up to 40 % energy savings, enabling fully dry and reduced-water processes and of course removing the need for grinding media
RZ Yes – the partnership will have exclusivity when it comes to mining projects which as you say encompasses the full suite of mining application. In terms of the design – we are talking about proven technology. That said, there will be step by step improvement and customisation based on the specific mining applications that arise, and this is what we are doing and will do jointly together.
CH Two other points – there are more than 2,400 Loesche VRMs working, and some of them already have very large throughputs as they are operating at some of the world’ s leading and largest cement operations. In addition, in terms of our cooperation, this will include not only the VRM based grinding, but also holistically working together to make sure the Metso Loesche VRM works as part of the complete process flow from crushing to flotation to magnetic separation, because it will have a huge positive impact across the flowsheet. So, we will together fine tune the VRM grinding on a project-byproject basis, as we would do with all our mining projects anyway – but also look to optimise the overall VRM based process. At Metso we really see a lot of synergies between Metso and Loesche – another one could be looking at ways Loesche could benefit from our global manufacturing network to produce the VRM mill linings and components for example.
Q Can you go into the key benefits of the Metso Loesche VRM in mining in more detail?
RZ I think OPEX is an important one as well – the already mentioned savings of 40 % in energy is a huge benefit – but also the lack of grinding media requirement is a major OPEX saving; and is much more sustainable as no steel balls need to be forged. As a dry process, or nearly dry in some cases, it can also have a major cost and sustainability in water scarce regions – where most of the largest copper mines are located, for example. In CAPEX terms, the VRM is probably comparable if you are taking just the equipment itself into consideration – but when you also look at its smaller footprint – this brings another cost advantage as well; and many mining projects are space limited, especially if it is a plant expansion on a brownfield site.
CH Thanks to its efficient grinding mechanism, the Metso Loesche VRM can deliver significantly improved mineral liberation which produces a steeper particle size distribution with minimal fines, and it reduces sulphide oxidation compared to traditional milling technologies. This enhanced liberation directly supports improved downstream recovery, enabling concentrators to extract more value from the same ore. As a result, VRM operations can achieve up to 7 % better flotation performance and therefore better recoveries, translating into higher overall plant efficiency and increased profitability. No grinding media also means no introduction of impurities from the media.
Q At Metso you have a whole suite of grinding and milling technologies at your disposal – stirred mills, geared mills, gearless mills, HPGRs, Vertimills – where is the VRM niche or sweet spot and what would you say was an ideal VRM based project and when you would propose its use to a big EPCM for example?
CH At Metso we want to give the customer the best solution not just from a pure mineral processing point of view but also based on a holistic view of energy efficiency, wear part consumption, equipment availability and total installed cost – that is important for the TCO. So, taking all this into account we look to find the right combination of equipment for the project. And yes, that could be a Vertimill or an HPGR which we have included in some big contract wins in recent years. We want to overcome a bias that says that the most energy efficient plant is also a more
International Mining | MAY 2026